Dear Sir or Madam: The Autobiography of a Female-To-Male Transsexual (Sexual Politics) [Paperback]

Mark Rees (Author)

Book Description

Series: Sexual Politics | Publication Date: March 1996

Her perplexed parents saw their daughter as a very awkward adolescent. Brenda Rees hated being 'awkward', and hated even more her female role and body. No one seemed to understand that 'she' was really a 'he'. Young Brenda saw no hope of relieving this conflict; her apparently unique condition condemned her to isolation, verbal abuse and misunderstanding. She spent five useless months in a psychiatric hospital. But at the age of twenty-seven, Brenda discovered the existence of transsexualism. She was not alone, and it appeared that help was at hand. Dear Sir or Madam tells of Brenda's struggle through adolescence and into adulthood - her search for understanding, the long and tortuous process of becoming Mark, his legal battles and his media exposure. In becoming himself, Mark was enabled to live a richer and fuller life than he could ever have done as Brenda. The book is an account of how it is possible for a known transsexual to be accepted by society. In 1994 Mark was elected as a Borough Councillor by the people amongst whom he has lived all his life.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: New York (March 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0304333948
• ISBN-13: 978-0304333943
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,785,845 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended for Trannies and Their Families, September 13, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Dear Sir or Madam: The Autobiography of a Female-To-Male Transsexual (Sexual Politics) (Paperback)

I found Dear Sir or Madam while looking for appropraite reading for my mother that was both heartfelt and honest, but not grim or especially detailed regarding surgery, etc. This autobiography paints a very accurate portrayal of growing up male, though confined to a female body. This is good reading material for people just beginning their transition, their friends and family, and supporters. In the wake of many other books that leave us feeling pitied, you will be nothing shy of uplifted and celebratory of Mark Rees' journey and conquest.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars TO SIR WITH LOVE..., March 11, 2001

By 

Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dear Sir or Madam: The Autobiography of a Female-To-Male Transsexual (Sexual Politics) (Paperback)

This autobiographical account of the author's life focuses on gender identity issues which appear to have governed most of his life. Anatomically a female, though somewhat androgynous in appearance, the author, named Brenda at birth, always felt as if he were a male trapped in a woman's body. This created many difficult life situations for him as he was growing up. The difficulties compounded themselves when "Brenda" reached puberty, as one may well imagine.

Never feeling that he belonged, yet wanting to be like other people, he struggled alone with these gender identity issues for many years. At one point in his young adult life, he was so depressed over his situation that he voluntarily entered a psychiatric hospital. His autobiographical account is a bird's eye view of the suffering that society can inflict on a human being who means no harm to anyone, and who is only trying to find a way to fit in with that society.

It was not until he realized that he was not alone, that there were others like him, that he began to realize that he could be helped. It was as a mature adult that he made the transition from female to male and became "Mark". Only then did he start feeling a little more comfortable in his own skin. Yet, despite dressing as a male, hormone therapy, and surgical modification, he still had issues, as society would only legally recognize the gender assignement made at birth. This would forever consign him legally to being a female, placing him in a sort of legal limbo.

The book is often poignant in that the author's desire for having a normal life is palpable. He really just wants to be like everyone else and do the things that everyone else does, such as, get a job commensurate with one's education and abilities, fall in love, get married, and have a family. Yet, all this seems to have eluded him, because of the gender identity issues which made it so difficult to attain his desired goals. Even after having become an elected official in the town where he grew up, the taunts of local children still plague him. Society may have come a long way in its understanding of these issues, but it, undoubtedly, has a long way to go.

This book addresses issues that are in the social forefront today, but the author, though clearly intelligent, has a prosaic style of writing that does not fully engage the reader. His is a voice with which to be reckoned, however, due to the dearth of literature on transexualism and its attendant, ancillary social issues.

1 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars we've all got problems, November 2, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Dear Sir or Madam: The Autobiography of a Female-To-Male Transsexual (Sexual Politics) (Hardcover)

the message of this book seems to be that transsexual people are more than just transsexuals. they are people. yes, thank you mr. rees. thank you for beating that message into me for 184 pages. seemingly without direction, he pounds out the events of his life, giving the reader the name of every friend along the way. oh, and thanking each of them, again and again. a look into a life with conflict, but we all have problems. read it if you somehow think homosexuals are the same thing as transexuals, but by and large an un-enlightening book.